Solar Flare and Plasma Sparks stepped into the seedy little Ferengi establishment located in the star base that orbited the planet of Helios Four. Heads quickly turned as the oddly colored unicorn stallions cantered around the outer fringes of the bar. They quickly moved towards a table that was located furthest from the area where the Ferengi bartender was busily working. There was a large window over-looking the planet below and a few figures whose outlines were seen in the starlight speaking in hushed tones. Outside the transparent-aluminum window, a multitude of stars twinkled like the eyes of the ponies that inhabited the dingy little bar. A few intoxicated Klingon officers emitted a low growl as they looked up from their goblets of blood wine and the ponies passed their table. Angrily, they shifted their attention towards the odd couple. Equestrians weren't the most welcome sight in the galaxy nor were they the most common. Solar Flare doubted the Klingons saw any honor in their presence here and wasn't about to risk an encounter with the fiercely aggressive race of warriors.

Andorian pop music offensively blared from the sound system located on either side of the supportive columns that surrounded the counter. The bar tender seemed to be chatting it up with a strange creature called a Morn who seemed as if he was carved out of ancient stone. Some of the aliens around the tables towards the front were taking long puffs from some kind of pipe instrument which emitted an offensive smell. The two ponies began to snort a bit at the stench as their noses were unaccustomed to such toxins on their home planet. Solar Flare’s ruby red eyes glanced in the direction of his companion.

Plasma Sparks, the brilliant engineer, was hastily scanning the room for their intended purpose. They had both intercepted the same encoded communique earlier that morning in their respective quarters at Star Fleet Academy. Both Plasma and Solar embarked on their mysterious mission with dedicated urgency. As loyal as the two young cadets were to their superior officer, they plodded carefully in this unknown territory. They couldn't help being naturally suspicious of the transmission that they had received. It wasn’t likely that two Star Fleet cadets should be meeting an Admiral the likes of Janeway in a dump like this one, but it wasn’t impossible.

Kathryn Janeway could be quite unorthodox. At times it seemed like the Admiral had some sort death wish. Her students were often left speechless as this tiny whirlwind of a woman would challenge them both physically and ethically. Surely, Janeway had a great deal to teach them with all that she had seen in her time in the Delta Quadrant. There was always a lesson to be learned with each tempting dish Admiral Janeway brought to the table. Solar Flare caught himself wondering if this was one of the Admiral’s challenges. It made sense that she would contact them in such a cryptic way with all of the betrayal even within Star Fleet’s ranks.

Since their days in the Academy, Admiral Janeway had played a critical role in their development as cadets. She delighted in the fact that the recruits from Equestria eagerly snapped up any opportunity to prove themselves. Not many ponies chose to leave the safety of their planet but those who did embark on this seemingly holy quest found that there were many prejudices and obstacles that kept them from fulfilling their promise to Princess Celestia. Not everyone in Star Fleet approved of them standing beside the likes of members of races who in their minds, truly belonged to the Federation. Equestria had seemingly cheated her way into the hearts of brave explorers who had seen opportunity. Admiral Janeway had risked everything, including her career, to ensure their entrance into Star Fleet went off without a hitch and brandished her strong opinion like a sharp blade to anyone who disagreed with her.

Who could really blame her though? Thought Flare as he cantered through the darkened room She had taken on the entire Delta Quadrant with a patched ship and a broken crew. She emerged from the claws of a deadly enemy completely victorious. Solar Flare’s mind began to wander again. He was often caught day-dreaming in the Academy’s classrooms.

As his mind began to travel to the past, he fell in step behind Plasma Sparks. This was usually the way things played out between the pair. Solar often relied heavily on Plasma leading them through many situations. The vision that Star Fleet had for Solar Flare was one of honor and duty. Solar Flare was just as content to be a distinguished scientist and explorer and leave the command chair to his cohort. He was quite unlike many of the ponies back home who seemed obsessed with fantasy and unbelievable magic. Solar Flare craved exploration and discovery which he pursued at every possible turn relentlessly.

Plasma Sparks had mentioned frequently how he would love to try his hooves at commanding a gallant star ship. He was definitely the more brash of the two of them. Unfortunately, Plasma Sparks had little of the social graces that commanded respect that goes with being a Captain. He was always ready to get down to business. Always ready for the next fight or the next assignment. He was exceptionally talented at seeming far more intimidating than he really was. It’s hard for anypony to seem intimidating compared to Klingons, Romulans or even the Terrans.

Even at this very moment, Plasma Sparks was all business. The taller gray unicorn stallion with his mop of hyper-pink hair was busy trying to goad information from the denizens of the establishment. It proved to be no easy task as most of the residents seemed more content to nurse their drinks than to get involved in something that was dangerous. Besides, who could trust a pony? They hadn't quite proven themselves to be anything but a nuisance in the eyes of the rest of the Alpha Quadrant.

Both stallions could only wonder what lie in store for them as they tried to search for the origin of the message. Maybe they were going to infiltrate the ranks of the Romulan Empire that had recently taken advantage of the newly crippled Federation. It wasn’t only the Romulans who had decided to hover over the Federation borders like vultures waiting for a great beast to finally take it’s dying breath.

There were a great deal of enemies made over the years that could bring an equally destructive end to the empire of peace. It didn't have to be the Borg. Anyone could take a swing. Rumors even spread that the great allies of the Federation could soon be turning their backs on them as the situation with the Borg intensified. These days Star Fleet hadn't been the force it had once been when Admiral Janeway was still a Captain of an intrepid ship. Flare was reminded of the reports he had read of Voyager’s earlier days when the greatest threat in the galaxy was distance. An agonizing journey which proved to be fatal to some members of Voyager’s crew.

Voyager had used a Borg trans-warp hub to make the long journey home take only a matter of minutes. It was then that the star ship Voyager further desecrated Borg space by destroying the hub and a volley of Borg cubes in it’s wake. They did not realize at this time that they had already set into motion a terrifying set of events. Kathryn Janeway and the crew of the Voyager had made a grievous error in judgment. Their mighty opponents were no longer what they once were. They had adapted. Changed.

The hub had been a critical piece of hardware and one not easily replaced by the Borg. One of only six in the universe, the Borg took the destruction of their hub as not only an affront but a case for ravaging the Federation into oblivion! The thought of it struck fear into the hearts and souls of every pony in existence. They had not personally dealt with the Borg yet, but all of the intelligence that Star Fleet had attained was enough to bring even Princess Celestia to maddening tears.

In the aftermath of the euphoria that Star Fleet had experienced when it’s long lost Voyager had returned, the dark force of the Collective hive loomed in the horizon. No one could have foreseen what was to come next. The Borg had no hunger for simply assimilating humanity. They wished for only one thing and that was revenge against the one race who had resisted them so well. The Borg didn’t want war with just the Terrans, but with every member of the galaxy it seemed. Janeway and the likes of her watched helplessly as metallic cubes began to appear in every corner of known space.

The Borg came in numbers to destroy not the planet of Earth, but all the planets whose mines contained a precious commodity for the Federation and indeed all space-faring civilizations. One by one the di lithium mines of the universe were being wiped out by the malicious forces of the Borg. The impressive trans-warp technology of the Borg had no need for the crystals that gave power to their highly resistant foes. Di lithium crystals allowed for faster-than-light travel throughout the galaxy. With no way to power the Fleet of impressive star ships that the Federation commanded, her borders were beginning to fray like a well worn carpet.

New allies began to shy away from the destruction that the Federation and her planets now entertained. Older allies began to question their allegiances to an organization that had bargained the fate of the universe for one stranded ship to return home in safety and her seemingly greedy commander. Adversity abounded every where and the peace and harmony that Star Fleet had once enjoyed, quickly began to dispel. A chord that struck deeply in the hearts of the newest member of the United Federation of Planets; Equestria. It was known at this time, as Planet-P for lack of a better moniker when it was discovered under immensely unusual circumstances.

When first contact was made with Planet-P it had not been ushered in the usual way that most of the Planets who made up the Federation had done in the past. The prime-directive that had held beloved tenets upheld by the Federation had been cast aside in a final act of desperation. It seemed like this lax of the Prime Directive could portend something more horrific on the horizon. It wasn’t about technology that allowed for warp speed, it was about a precious resource that could turn the tides of the war between the Federation and the Borg. Planet-P contained not only her intriguing equine denizens but also the prized and mysterious element of Cutieum. Cutieum reacted with hydrogen much the same way as di lithium and allowed a star ship to generate a warp field and take wing like the Pegasi of the city of Cloudsdale.

The Federation was delighted to find out that the creatures of Planet-P upheld similar ideals of peace and friendship among their ranks. They were not as technologically advanced as the rest of the Federation though and this made for heated debates in Star Fleet’s council of those, like the Vulcans who vehemently opposed making contact with Planet-P. The prime directive clearly stated that only races who had obtained the ability of faster-than-light space propulsion could apply for membership with the Federation. When the mines of di lithium that the Vulcans had used for eons were wiped out in a swift attack, it was suddenly deemed most logical to pursue a relationship with this peaceful planet.

Planet-P, Flare thought, had dodged the bullet on that one. Equestria’s civilization did indeed have the ability to go ‘warp speed’ as these Terrans called it. It was not something that was achieved in the traditional sense. Solar Flare thought of the group of scientists aboard the star ship Titan who first picked up the sign that Equestria was ready to make first contact with the rest of the galaxy. While monitoring the planet on a routine sensor reading, the Titan’s powerful sensor grid detected a neutrino emission emanating from the atmosphere of the brightly-colored planet below just mere light-years ahead of them. The commanding officer had been alerted of the findings and the Titan set course to further explore the mystery of the emission.

The crew of the Titan were dumbstruck as they quickly discovered that the source of the neutrino emission was not from a star ship orbiting Planet-P but from a member of Equestria’s distinguished race! When the report had come across the desk of Captain William T. Riker, he could scarcely believe what he was reading. Rainbow Dash’s famous sonic rain-boom had produced the same effect as a star ship going into warp! Equestria had achieved warp capability through achievement but not one of the technological persuasion. It was the magic of friendship that had created the massive effect and undoubtedly reshaped the face of the wondrous little planet.

The Titan may have been the first ship to orbit Equestria, but it certainly wasn’t the last. News traveled quickly throughout Star Fleet and on to high-ranking officials in the Federation. The findings of the intrepid team of scientists were staggering. A team of covertly trained scientists and anthropologists were dispatched to watch the interactions of Equestria’s citizens from holographic posts peppering the planet’s surface. In the safety of holographic camouflage, the scientists were able to observe every day life in relative anonymity.

They reported their findings eagerly and with a sense of great excitement. Equestria was not at all what they expected ! It was true that it lacked the technology that the rest of the quadrant enjoyed but it seemed to make up for it in so many ways. The social graces of ponies seemed to tower over every other race that Star Fleet had encountered in it’s long history.

Scientists also observed that the rare element of Cutieum was not only reactive with hydrogen but also with the physiology of the ponies that lived in Equestria. Unicorns gained their magic from the element, as the Pegasi the ability to fly and the Earth Ponies their deep connection with the land. It was also discovered that a pony removed from the influence of the element was slowly drained of their magic. Most ponies who traveled off-world had quickly learned to fashion jewelry made from the precious element so that they would never be caught in a vulnerable situation.

There were other things about the ponies that set them apart from every race that the Federation had encountered. Not only were they peace-loving and friendly, they were also incredibly strong by even the standards of most Terrans. They had the ability to learn quickly and to improvise when in dangerous situations. What took most races years to learn, the ponies seemed to easily race through vast databases of knowledge. They were indeed a very capable race and that made them prime candidates for Star Fleet cadets. The idea of having ponies in Star Fleet was entertained by brilliant minds but it wasn’t seen as a very good thing at that time.

Oddly enough the officers who were assigned to the planet began to observe a collective consciousness between the ponies shifting towards Equestria’s capitol city of Canterlot. Ponies assembled in large numbers for announcements that were being made on a daily basis. The Princesses’ of the Day and the Night as they called themselves were aware of a metallic enemy who had laid in a course for their home planet! These special ponies had sensed the Borg incursion without star ships or sensor grids!

It was that moment of realization that had created such a rift between high ranking members of the Federation and Star Fleet. The battle over practicality, of the basic need for trade of the element that could save the galaxy and give a fighting chance to defend against the Borg or the abandonment of principles which had held the Federation together for generations. The final decision had been argued by the ranks of Star Fleet for months until the last encounter with the Borg had the outcome that it did, One of the Bolian moons, from which a large chunk of the Federation’s supply of di lithium had come from, had been destroyed. Many ships were left crippled. Chief engineers were scrambling to find a way to recrystallize the di lithium that was crumbling from overuse in the reaction chambers of their ships.

There was simply no more time to argue. The fleet had dispatched one of it’s finest ships to make first contact with the planet that held the future of the Federation. No one knew how the ponies below would react or even if they could be communicated with. It’s not every day that a quadrupedal species joins the Federation or even makes first contact with much success. The galaxy held it’s collective breath as Captain Riker beamed down to the planet below in a flurry of light.

To the surprise of Riker and the rest of his crew, he was greeted by the ruler of Equestria and her court. Solar Flare fondly remembered the beautiful Princess Celestia stepping out into the royal court yard where the away team had seemingly materialized from thin air. He had been one of the royal guards that protected Canterlot and and was assigned to this curious meeting. He remembered feeling that this unknown technology that was wielded by these ‘Star Fleet Officers’ seemed to be a kind of magic that he was hungry to understand. As he stood protectively next to this Princess and looked up into the ice-blue eyes of the gruff looking Captain his heart skipped a beat. He could tell so much about this man already. This man had witnessed so many things.

Ponies had an uncanny power to judge the character of a person just by standing in the same room as them and looking into their eyes. They seemed to draw on an unknown universal force that bound all living things together. They read those they encountered the way people will read books. The ponies used this ability voraciously. It was a talent that proved to be valuable in the coming months after this initial meeting.

As the Princess towered over Solar Flare, she could look Riker dead in the eye. Her warm smile and cheerful expression had won the day. Not only for the benefit of the Federation but also for the fate her own beloved planet. Ever pony present that day could hear the need in the Princess’s voice as she spoke with Riker about the threat of the Borg.

Flare was astonished at what he heard come from his brave ruler’s mouth. Celestia always seemed so unflappable but this time something was definitely different. Even the way she carried herself was terse and unnatural. Usually their great ruler’s movement flowed like an ocean wave. Solar Flare was not the only one who noticed this stark change in Celestia’s behavior. Luna and her sister were very honest to their subjects about the destruction that awaited them if they did not act quickly to protect themselves.

Their powerful princesses had dreamed of the decimation of the entire planet at the hands of these strange metallic foes whose magic could not be stopped with the power of the Elements of Harmony! Every pony was completely terrified but each of them carried a grain of hope within themselves. Solar remembered thinking how strange it was to think that their ancient Alicorn magic could not stop any foe that threatened the beautiful pink marble of a planet. Maybe they had taken Celestia’s radiant sun for granted for far too long. As mortified as he was upon hearing the fate of their world he was also equally enticed by the face that there were other worlds with a different kind of magic to help protect them from these dark enemies.

Captain Riker sounded equally urgent as he tried to explain the position of the mighty Fleet of ships that hovered in something called space. Solar Flare found his mind whirling in all directions. The more that he heard, the more he wanted a part of the action. He wanted to not only see space, he wanted to taste it as well! He wanted to fly faster than any Pegasus. He wanted to meet all of the different races of this United Federation of Planets. Riker explained that there were also going to be many hurdles for the tiny ponies to overcome. In deed, this first step was already sending shock-waves around the galaxy.

Celestia’s equally powerful sister, Princess Luna stepped forward from the shadows and explained that she would be in charge of relations between the Federation and Equestria. In her long time imprisoned on the moon, she had learned of the workings of the galaxy. Other races, other forms of existence and the ability to channel their intentions to her sister. Her destiny as the frightening Night Mare Moon had proved to be more than just a mistake on the part of a younger Luna. Her long sentence had attuned her to the rest of the universe and made her the most knowledgeable pony on the planet. It seemed to play a great part in the future of Equestria. Under Celestia’s watch, Princess Luna had reclaimed her rightful place as ruler of the night and used her abilities to glean foresight into what was to befall the planet. Luna and Celestia did not only see what was coming, but felt the looming presence of these people who called themselves the Borg.

The unusual circumstances of the first contact were going to be the most difficult to explain to the rest of the universe that shared the same Prime Directive. In stressful times, Riker explained, not every one in Star Fleet was acting as admirably as they should be. Captain Riker painted a picture to the Princesses that was filled with prejudice and hardship. For a moment, this mighty man paused as if to let the weight of the situation absorb into Celestia’s and Luna’s minds. Celestia looked at her sister and they both nodded in agreement. Their minds were in that moment singular like this Borg Collective.

“Whatever your Federation has planned for us, we ponies will rise and meet every challenge you are able to throw at us. We may not share in your technology but our ideals seem to be unilateral. It is our way,” Princess Celestia said.

Riker seemed to consider her for a moment. “Well, I’ll let them know that for lack of a better term, the Calvary is on it’s way.” He grinned a charming smile at Princess Celestia. She lowered her head for a moment and blushed slightly. Obviously this Riker man was a man of many talents, including charming the female of every species. Solar Flare felt at that moment a bit of envy and the will to learn as much as he could from these Star Fleet types. They seemed to dapper compared to the overly-hyper antics of Canterlot’s citizens.

William Riker had kept his word and stood by the planet as it faced it’s application into the mighty United Federation of Planets. So much already had changed on the planet as the realization of other worlds and the threat of the Borg began to spread among the citizens of Equestria. Solar Flare’s world began to unfurl before him and he eagerly charged ahead like an overly-excited colt on a spring day.

And then their had been those days at the Academy when the first ponies of Equestria had entered into the ranks of Star Fleet. At first, there had only been a small handful of applicants who were hoof-picked by Princess Luna. Solar Flare had been amongst those who had first 'beamed’ onto the transporter pad of the transport ship that would carry them to their new futures.

When Solar Flare had met the enchanting Admiral Janeway, he was instantly captivated by the lively and vivacious personality of the professor. Just as Riker had predicted, the first pony applicants faced a variety of obstacles and prejudice. Only Admiral Janeway had eagerly accepted the new applicants and taught them a variety of valuable survival lessons. Taken under the wing of the wise and battle-tested Admiral, Solar Flare had toyed with the idea of commanding his own vessel but he just didn’t think he was up to such an incredible task!

The Admiral saw something in Solar Flare that he was not able to see himself. She explained that this was usually the case. When Kathryn had been younger, she would never have dreamed of commanding her own vessel. She was content with the life of a scientist. But when opportunity had presented it’s self, Kathryn was not the type of person to back down from a challenge. She attempted to instill this belief into a younger Flare, but it seemed to miss it’s mark. Solar Flare was greatful of his amazing new friendship with this individual who was unlike anything he had ever seen before. Miss Janeway had also introduced him to his greatest addiction. A delightful earth beverage that was available no where on Planet-P. It was called coffee and indeed, there may be a good reason why caffeine was not a normal part of the pony diet. It seemed to him that most ponies in Equestria were already a bit too hyper. Nor would they like the bitter taste of coffee, he thought, which he liked to drink black.

That was over four years ago and Solar Flare and Plasma Sparks were in their last year of Star Fleet Academy training. Soon it would be time for them to assume posts on different ships and take on dangerous missions in separate lives. Nothing, not even their relation could bind them together now. How Flare wanted a friendship with the one pony who never seemed to like him. He wanted to say something, sit down and figure things out with Sparks, but there never seemed to be any time to do so. The life of a Star Fleet cadet was a busy one. Leaving Star Fleet Headquarters and embarking on missions that would take them to strange new worlds was only the tip of the iceberg. Flare could feel himself trembling back into reality at this notion. They had still not found Admiral Janeway or even the source of her mysterious transmission. Had their been an impostor?

The scene of the bar and it’s greasy little inhabitants began to take shape again as Plasma Sparks silently searched for the elusive Admiral who had sent them encrypted subspace transmissions a few hours ago. He hated how crazy and seemingly suicidal Janeway could seem at times. He never understood what Solar Flare saw in that crazy little woman! Although she had been a gifted engineer in her own right and a brilliant tactician, there were times that Plasma barely understood how she was able to get her ship and her crew back in one piece from the Delta Quadrant.

Solar Flare trotted across the floor lost in his day dreams about the early days. He stepped directly into the path of one of those intoxicated Klingon officers and stopped with a thud into the stoic alien. Solar Flare looked up at the Klingon with an apologetic smile hoping his pony cuteness would conquer the foul tempered alien. “Sorry about that, chap.” He said as he rose to his hooves with a start. He didn't even realize the can of crap he had just opened up. Unfortunately, there was little he could do about it at this point. Plasma Sparks had never known any Klingon in his experience to ever accept an apology without some sort of fight being involved. It was too late to stop the little bugger who was hastily dusting the enraged Klingon with one of his hooves.

Plasma stared across the room at that moment at Solar Flare in stark disbelief. There was no way he was going to charm one of these Klingons with that cute smile and needless babble. There were some races in the galaxy who just couldn't be swayed by the adorable little ponies from Equestria. It left a bad taste in Plasma’s mouth to be belittled in such a way. To always be known as adorable and cute and nothing more. It was more than he could stand. As if the scene played in slow motion, there was little Plasma Sparks could do at that moment as it unfolded.

“You little p'taqh! How dare you address me, vermin! When I am finished with you, we will see how delicious you little beasts are roasted over a spit.” His comrades bawled in agreement and the officer stood to his full height towering over the unicorn menacingly. Plasma saw Solar’s eyes widen to nearly twice their size as the full impact of the situation began to make itself known.

“What have you done, Solar?! How could you be so stupid!? We’re outnumbered here!” Shouted Plasma Sparks desperately. Plasma grunted to himself. As he took his place beside his companion loyally, Plasma instantly regretted the quick movement. A hard fist came swinging wildly from one of the Klingons and ripped across his snout. A trail of blood sailed by him. He was sent spiraling helplessly across the bar and into the dazed Ferengi bar tender who began to shout obscenities in several languages that Plasma Sparks could not decipher without his universal translator. His universal translator! It was missing! It must have gotten knocked off in the fight.

“Now that was a bit uncalled for, mate!” Shouted Sparks as he reeled backwards and using his hind legs, kicked the offending Klingon officer in the chest and equally as far across the room. For the moment, the warrior remained on the ground as the wind had been knocked from him. Plasma watched as the bar began to erupt into a menacingly unfamiliar torrent of punches and kicks. One of the Klingons grinned at the challenge of facing one of these elusive little creatures in battle. Ponies were known for their strength, a side effect of the element of Cutieum.

In a flash of anger, Plasma couldn't help but think how everything had come to this moment. This was probably going to be the first and last bar fight of his life, thanks to that idiot Solar Flare. And all the while, as he was being beaten and was in turn fighting, Solar Flare kept that impossibly stupid grin on! The nerve of that asshole! Who does he think he is? As he hoped over a fallen body of one of the bar’s inhabitants, Plasma dashed back across the room to the side of his comrade.

One of the Klingons heartily grabbed on to one of Flare’s back legs, Plasma noticed. Solar Flare desperately tried to kick him but it was in vain. As strong as ponies were compared to humans, they were no match for a fully trained and fully angered Klingon warrior. Solar Flare screamed wickedly as the little sense he did have was shaken from him. He looked like a rag doll in the hands of that wild beast. It was then that a blinding beam of light arching back from some energy weapon seemed to quiet the entire bar all at once and bring it to some kind of distant order.

And there she stood in the door way, as enigmatic as ever. She might have well been Princess Celestia standing there for every inhabitant of the bar just stared wide-eyed and slack jawed, including the four-legged cadets. Admiral Janeway lowered her high-compression phaser rifle and shouted to the Klingons in their own tongue. Without their communicators the ponies could only guess what she had just said to them. Whatever it was it didn't sound very nice and it must have angered them further to be ordered about by a tiny human female. It looked like Solar and the Admiral shared the annoying and dangerous habit of pissing off everyone and every thing in their wake. Plasma could only pray to Celestia that they would survive this in one piece so he could give the Admiral and her little student an earful!

The supposed leader of the Klingons regarded Janeway for a moment and seemed to oblige her request. Solar Flare was dropped mercilessly on to the hard deuterium floor and landed with an undignified squawk that made Admiral Janeway momentarily look in his direction. She doesn't need to be distracted by the likes of you, Solar! thought Plasma. The Klingon officer plodded forward to meet his fated foe. His comrades seemed to recognize the Admiral and stayed back in the shadows. They were ready to strike, but only if they had to. It seemed that their leader was just a bit over-confident for their tastes.

“Sorry I’m late, boys. It was a bitch to get a trans-port to Helios Four. I had to take matters into my own hands.” She said as she flicked a sharp grin the direction of the two unicorns. She knew that the two of them looked utterly ridiculous laying on the floor. Janeway seemed to take some crazy delight in this notion.

Solar Flare dusted himself off and tried to regain some of his composure. Plasma caught himself staring at the Admiral as if she was some sort of apparition that had come out of the Ever Free Forest. Maybe the Zap-Apples were going to bloom soon? He shook the image of Sweet Apple Acres and Ponyville from his mind and tried to see if they had a way out. It didn't look very good. Even with the precocious Admiral guarding the door way like some Valkyrie out of Earth’s history, they were still greatly outnumbered by a bar full of lunatics.

Janeway stood their smiling up at the Klingon who must have stood nearly two feet over her. Plasma noted that the same stupid grin was on her face as it had been on Solar’s just moments before. There was also years of confidence, he observed built up like a wall in those ice-blue eyes. He wondered if his companion may have spent just a bit too much time with the Admiral and was picking up some of her worse habits. Then quite suddenly in a motion that took even the Klingons off guard, the Admiral leaped up into the air and slammed the phaser rifle into shoulder of the attacker! He snarled and gasped as the realization that he had been had took effect!

Solar Flare bolted ahead and lept up onto the back of the Klingon officer. He must not have expected a rematch with the tiny pony and was knocked out of commission by the diamond hard hooves of the white and orange unicorn stallion. Plasma decided at this point to leave this circus behind. He jumped on the back of the fallen Klingon who slapped against the floor with a mighty thud and used him as a bridge to the nearest exit.

“Well, I believe we've overstayed our welcome, boys. Come on, let’s go!” said Janeway as she turned to leave the startled crowd. She paused a moment to grab a cup of coffee that had just been poured a few minutes ago and forgotten by the bar keeper.

Solar Flare trotted behind and took one last look at the scene in which they had created. There was an angry, shouting Ferengi, a decommission Klingon Captain and a slew of lost souls who weren't exactly sure what had just happened. As quickly as the fight started, it ended. The crowd had calmed and the Andorian pop music again blared overhead. The Ferengi bar tender decided revenge wasn’t as profitable as forgiveness and went back to tending the stoic Morn figure. Solar Flare was almost laughing as he stepped through the airlock and on to the stolen shuttle-craft.

Admiral Janeway was sitting at the helm of the tiny vessel. She quickly disengaged the locking clamps that kept the shuttle from drifting into space and set a course. As they felt the ship hit impulse, Janeway turned her chair to face them. “Gentlemen,” She began, seeming completely unphased by the events in the bar. “I guess you’re wondering why I called you here to this meeting.”

“To say this least, Admiral.” snapped the hot-tempered Plasma Sparks. “This wasn’t my idea of a good time. I can’t understand why you would have brought us so far from home to accomplish the feat of nearly getting us killed.” He began to spew in that way that he was all too familiar with.

Solar Flare took a little step back and tried to calm down Plasma as best he could before the entire scene got as insane as the bar fight. “Now I’m sure the Admiral had her reasons for digression, Plasma. She isn't playing with us. This isn't some kind of test.” He stated flatly. He was completely confident that the Admiral was justified in her actions.

“Actually I was testing you…” Janeway said with a wry smile. There was a bit of amusement coloring her voice.

“YOU WHAT?! We almost died!” Plasma snorted angrily. Solar Flare must have looked comical as the Admiral seemed to be stifling laughter at this point.

“You’re going to face death every day as a Star Fleet officer, gentlemen. It was something that was explained to you from the beginning. Something I've tried to instill in you and hoped that you would learn from it. It’s not a safe universe, it’s not Equestria.” She said in a much calmer tone.

“As I've been reminded so many times before by you humans! But why would you bring us all this way just to attempt murder? You could have slipped into our quarters and ended it much more efficiently than this!” growled Sparks. He seemed to be almost purely enraged at this point. His hooves impatiently stomped at the ground of the shuttle as he waited for an answer that would suit him.

Solar Flare quietly stared at the Admiral in disbelief. He seemed almost crestfallen and deserted. The laughter and chiding immediately halted from Janeway as she observed his reactions. She really did like this little unicorn and all of his strange little mannerisms. They weren't only mentor and student, she liked to think of them as friends. Indeed, she was nothing like the other Admirals in Star Fleet who kept their distance from cadets. She had learned long ago on Voyager that every situation couldn't be handled in the same way every time. If she did handle things like that, surely she would have been assimilated by the Borg or her entire crew organ harvested by the Vidiians long ago.

She raised her hand up to quiet Sparks and to reassure Solar Flare. “I didn't bring you here to kill you. I brought you here to test your loyalty. I wanted to make sure you used every lesson you've learned at the Academy to dissect the situation. I would fail you as a teacher if I coddled you. That’s simply not how I handle things. That’s not how the universe handles things.” She saw Solar Flare’s tense shoulders begin to relax and she was content in that behavior that he was beginning to see why there were so many charades in her experiment.

“Well, you've got us here. Beaten up and on a stolen shuttle-craft no less! What in the hoof is going on here?” demanded Plasma.

Janeway could only beam with pride at the attitude exhibited by Plasma Sparks. It reminded her of a certain half-Klingon who used to challenge her ideas on a daily basis. In the beginning, this use to insult her and it seemed to be a challenge to her command. In the end, though, both her and B'Elanna had fashioned a deep respect for each-other that went beyond the average Captain/Engineer relationship. Plasma Sparks did so remind her of B'Elanna. There were more important matters at hand than reminiscing about the past. She had to let them know what destiny had brought them.

“Gentlemen. As you may well have known you have faced many challenges in the past but nothing like the one you are about to face. Star Fleet rejected giving you ponies something that would give you equal standing within the Federation, your own flag ship. I've come to ensure that you are given every opportunity to fight the Borg and protect your planet.”

“You’re giving us a star ship? But how? Most of the Fleet is crippled by the invasions. Engineers are too busy trying to keep the ships they have already in one piece than building new ones.” stated Solar calmly.

“This isn't a new ship. She’s not even in one piece. She’s faced as many trials as you ponies have over the years, perhaps more. Right now we’re en route to meet her. Mr. Sparks, I believe you could help us rebuild this ship. Her name is the Sutherland…” Janeway was interrupted.

“You nearly killed us to give us a worthless hunk of junk?! The Sutherland has been rotting for over ten years in a space yard. She was nearly destroyed in the dominion battle. I've read all of the reports. She’s completely obsolete!” Plasma interjected.

“But she is in one piece. She can be rebuilt better and stronger. Your planet is rich in resources that could make it possible. With your own star ship defending your planet, you’ll be able to have a chance to stop the Borg and command your own destinies. It may not seem like much now, gentlemen, but this is the greatest gift you could ever be given!” Janeway’s eyes began to illicit some kind of influence over the pair. Plasma groaned to himself. Solar Flare looked like he had just been given the milky-way on a silver platter and was absolutely terrified.

“So why after all this time is the Federation finally allowing us to have our own flag ship?” Plasma said after a few moments.

“Well, they’re not exactly giving it to you…” trailed Janeway. Her wry half-smile was finding its way back onto her face.

“Well what do we have to do then?” demanded Sparks.

“It’s simple. We have to steal it.” And with that, Admiral Janeway turned back to the controls of the shuttle-craft and left the dumbfounded cadets to their own thoughts.